Emails discovered in publicly released documents reveal discussions between Jeffrey Epstein and Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, regarding an investment in a digital advertising company called Adfin. The correspondence, dating from 2018, was found by Simon Andriesz, a British whistleblower who has been examining the vast trove of Epstein's files.
Andriesz, who was searching for any mention of Cantor Fitzgerald executives in the documents, focused his search on initials rather than full names, as he suspected executives often used abbreviations in their communications. He located emails exchanged with an account identified as "HWL," believed to be Howard William Lutnick.
In these emails, Epstein directly inquired about the prospects of Adfin with Lutnick. Lutnick's response indicated that the company was "Producing revenue finally. This is their year. Next 12 months they need to become economically self-sufficient." Both Epstein and Cantor Fitzgerald had invested in Adfin.
Following his discovery, Andriesz shared the information with members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, a primary investigative body in the U.S. Congress. Subsequently, Lutnick agreed to testify before the committee in an off-camera hearing.
Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. He issued a statement to the committee unequivocally condemning Epstein's conduct and that of anyone involved in his illegal activities, adding that survivors of Epstein's crimes deserve respect and support. Epstein was previously imprisoned in Florida in 2008 for soliciting prostitution, including charges involving a minor.